How alleged killer of 89-year-old grandma, daughter was arrested– Witness

Justice Modupe Nicoclay of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere has heard how Joseph Ogu, the alleged killer of an 89- year-old grandmother Adejoke John, and her 36- year-old daughter Oreoluwa John was arrested.

Ogu was arraigned by the Lagos State Government over alleged murder of the deceased on October 22, on a three-count charge of murder and stealing.

At the resumed hearing of the case, a security guard, Mr Dahiru Musa, told the court how he discovered the bodies of the deceased who were allegedly killed by their newly-employed house help, Ogu, two days after he was employed.

Musa who is the first prosecution witness, told Justice Nicoclay, he saw the defendant two days after his employment, around 2:15am, when he opened the gate and was about driving the 89-year-old’s car out.

He said that he approached the defendant and asked him why he was driving the deceased’s car, at quarter past 2am, and the defendant replied that the deceased sent him on an errand somewhere.
The witness said: “I asked him why he was driving mama’s car, he said mama sent him on errand somewhere; I challenged him again and I said mama couldn’t have sent you on an errand at this time”.

Musa who was led in evidence in chief by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN, said he held the defendant tight and collected the car keys from him and led him back to the deceased’s house.

He said: “The defendant and I climbed the stairs case to the upper floor, where mama’s apartment is and entered the sitting room but it was scattered, all the drawers were pulled out and their contents scattered all over the floor; then I started shouting mama, mama, but nobody answered me.

“I now asked the defendant to take me to where mama was; when I entered mama’s room, I saw her dead body on the floor.”

When asked how many occupants were in the apartment, the witness said there were only two occupants, mama and her daughter who was also stabbed to death.

Musa said: “At that point, I turned the defendant round and tied his hands behind, and his legs and also gaged his mouth until in the morning, when I handed him over to the police”.

He also disclosed that the defendant spoilt the bumper of the car of the deceased when he wanted to drive it out.

According to him, four phones were found in the booth of the car, four Automated Teller Machine Cards were also found in the booth, a big plasma television was also in the booth of the car.

The witness who said he had been working as a security guard in the area where the incident occurred for a about two years and three months, said prior to the incident, mama use to send him on errands.

When he was also asked how he knew the defendant, he said : “It was through mama that I knew him and mama asked me to show him where I bought things for her.”
Ogu was represented by Mr Monday Ubani.

During the defendant’s arraignment, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mr Yaqub Oshoala, had told the court that Ogu committed the alleged offence on June 19.

He said that the incident took place at 4, Ogunlana Drive, in Surulere area of Lagos, at about 9: 30pm.

Oshoala said that the defendant killed one Adejoke John, by strangulating her to death.

He also said that Ogu, also killed Oreoluwa John, by stabbing her to death.

The prosecutor further alleged that the defendant whilst armed with a knife, robbed the deceased of her car, phones and Plasma TV.

He said: “Ogu, whilst armed with a knife, robbed one Adejoke John of her Toyota Camry Saloon Car, with Reg No. FST 104 CW, LG plasma TV, motorway handset, one Gionee handset, one Nokia phone, one i- Tell phone and one power bank”.

According to the prosecutor the offences committed are contrary to Sections 222 (1) (a), 297 (2) (b) and punishable under Sections 223 of the criminal laws of Lagos 2015.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

Justice Nicoclay, however, adjourned the case until January 23, for continuation of trial.